Harpy
Harpies resemble a cross between a Night Elf female and a hunting bird, with long talons for feet, and large graceful wings for arms. Harpies originally hail from the Stonetalon Mountains, but have since spread out across Kalimdor. Harpy legends claim that they are descend from a group of female Night Elves who were cursed by Queen Azshara. No male harpies exist, so harpies will often capture a male of another species to fill the role for a time, after which they become food for the nest. In lean times, harpies can lay unfertilized eggs that become female copies of the mother. Vicious and predatory by nature, harpies are the bane of all other life in the areas were they take root. They have been raiding Tauren settlements since time out of mind, and it can only be assumed that they are as much a plague on the Quilboars and others. The only race rumored to have any peaceful relationship with the harpies are Kobolds, who trade them scavenged tools and weapons for information and protection. If not driven out, they quickly range out attacking anything and everything they can get. Harpies are clearly very intelligent, since they are able to communicate with other races when they wish to. The common echelons of Harpy society attack with crude weapons or simply with their razor sharp talons. They are well used to the ways of divine magic and treachery. The more elite Harpies tend to be master of elemental storm magic and are much more dangerous. These vile, unscrupulous winged women live only to cause mischief and sorrow. Hailing from the windy Stonetalon Mountains, the harpies are masterful at ambushing hapless caravans and foolish travelers alike. Harpies are found in Teldrassil, The Stonetalon Mountains, Feralas, Mulgore, Thousand Needles, Alterac Valley, The Barrens, and Durotar. Matriarchies Witchwing Residing in the northern Barrens in an area called The Dry Hills this group of harpies have been ravaging the Horde's caravan supplies. The lower sections of their group are led by so called lieutenants, called Slayers. They stand out from the rest by wearing rings. They, in turn, answer to the leader of the matriarchy Serena Bloodfeather. She is the sister of a harpy named Bloodfeather who was slain by Rexxar and her attacks on the Horde are inspired by a sense of revenge. It seems she is assisted in her leadership by Sister Rathtalon. Their plumage is black. Bloodfury In the Stonetalon Mountains, the Tauren are having their own problems with the harpies. The Bloodfuries are the source of the increasing number of harpies in Kalimdor; they encroach upon all likes of life preventing the innocent from leaving their boundaries. Their leader, Bloodfury Ripper, is all but a queen to the Bloodfuries. She makes her home in The Charred Vale, close to Desolace where she is busy keeping out the Tauren and Night Elves who are trying to regrow the forests. Their plumage is red and white. Bloodfeather In Teldrassil, the harpies have sought to nest on the night elves' own homeland. Recently grown, the great tree is a perfect location for the Bloodfeather matriarchy, who have already started laying eggs to increase the size of their tribe. The night elves are struggling to keep the number of harpies down, and give out bounties for Bloodfeather belts collected from dead harpies. Dustwind Dustwind harpies have settled down in the dry gulches and ravines of Durotar, much to the annoyance of the recently settled orcs. The harpies assault caravans on the road south of Orgrimmar, and have laid claim to a relatively large pocket of passages in the jagged rises just north of Razor Hill. They have blue and red plumage. Windfury The harpies of the Windfury matriarchy inhabit the new home of their ancestral enemies, the tauren. They have nests both in the southern and the northern parts of the great grasslands, and constantly harass travelers journeying to and from Thunder Bluff, situated on the nearby mesa. Their plumage is blue and white. Northspring More harpies nest in the lush tropical forest of Feralas. The Northspring harpies are among the most dangerous of the matriarchies, and can quickly slaughter the unwary traveler lost in the wilds. As with most of their habitats, the harpies in Feralas clash with the local tauren tribe, base in Camp Mojache. They have greenish skin and dark pink plumage. Speculation It is possible that the harpies are night elves who during the time before the War of the Ancients gave themselves over to Aviana, just as the keepers and dryads are night elves who gave themselves over to Cenarius (Cenarius mentions it in the beginning of The Well of Eternity). The death of Aviana during the War would have left them without their matriarch, and could explain their now brutal nature (although Aviana herself also hinted to having these streaks). Category:Creatures Category:Humanoids Category:Harpies